Sanctions and Iran

The New York Times: Reports from Iran, how the latest sanctions on Iran is hurting Iran's currency; it is down in value by 50%; the article notes the following on this effect, " ..an atmosphere in which citizens, banks, businesses and state institutions have started fending for themselves. ".

Lets Get Real:

This is what the West wants folks, it was the gradual destruction of the civic life of Iran, it wants the people to work outside the system, to see how the system has let them down, it wants to force the Tehran Regime to use its foreign currency to keep the support of the Army and Police, if they are using the cash for that they cant be developing the bomb. The question that has to be asked who breaks first, will the people get so angry with the system that we see another Libya, Egypt or Syria developing in Iran. That is why the Tehran Regime wants the bomb, as long as Iran does not have the bomb the Regime is under threat from external forces. The EU/UN sanctions have been set in place as the World does not want to see Israel launch a military strike to prevent Iran getting the bomb. The latest EU sanctions to close down the import of oil from Iran will start to create cracks in the Regime, thus the West can expect some kind of military action by Tehran to force the West to relax the sanctions, thus the Western Navies should be on guard for some kind of stunt by Tehran. Something has to give folks, the pressure is mounting in this fragile Persian Bottle.

The EU Bailout and Finland and Holland

Guardian Live - Euro: Reports the following in its 11.15am post on the resistance of Holland and Finland to the EU bailout baying the bonds of the PIIGS, " ..It's not clear, though, that it can block the idea. ".

Lets Get Real:

That is the problem with the present crisis, in essence the future of the Eurozone is down to Germany and to a lesser extent France, you would think in a Democracy, and the last time this blog looked the EU was supposed to be a democracy that when a major State like the Netherlands says NO it would have an effect, but no it seems, it down to majority voting and how much money you throw at the EU, thus down again to Germany. What happens when the Netherlands is asked to pass a major EU Treaty that requires all the States to pass, what happens as a result of not blocking this scheme the good people of Holland say NO to closer Union, will they be pushed along by Germany. Democracy is seems folks is being pushed out of the window by Germany, that is not new for Netherlands.

Threat to New EU Agreement - Euro Crisis

Telegraph Live - Euro: Reports in its 10.45am/11.17am posts that Holland and Finland will try to prevent the EU bailout fund from baying the bonds of the weaker Euro Countries.

Lets Get Real:

Folks the Euro Crisis will only be solved for the long term when Germany agrees to Euro bonds, this will combine the debt of ALL Eurozone Countries and have their credit rating linked to Germany, the Germans would be on the hook to fund the poor PIIGS for many decades, as once the PIIGS get this funding they will not reform. The Germans have to careful that they are not conned in to baying used used tea bags! There is a push for a Federal EU, one President, one cabinet, one bank etc. The problem for the EU is that it will have to be German lead EU as they have the money, the French are now 2nd league players. The UK Government supports a Federal Europe as long as the UK is not part, without the counter weight of the UK the Eurozone will become a greater Germany, the French are really going to love that, one has doubts that the EU politicians see they are breaking their links with the voters, once the voters get a chance to vote on the EU, many politicians might find they are all at sea while the Ship of State has passed them on.

Deaths in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that three UK Soldiers were killed on Sunday in Afghanistan by an Afghan Policeman from reports, the Soldiers came from the following, " Two soldiers serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and one serving with the Royal Corps of Signals ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 422 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 382 in combat/hostile action, while 40 have died due to illness, accidents or other incidents.